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had to the accompanying drawings, forming part Iof this specification,in which* wit, five feet long, three inches broad, and one inch thick; CC are supporting stakes, all alike, to

uiten JOHN T. CAMPBELL, OF'EOCKVILLE, INDIANA;

Letters Patent No. 63,853, dem April I6, 1867 l IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLEEENGE 'ro Ani. WHOM IT MAI,7 ooNcERN:

Be it `known that I, JOHN T. CAMPBELL, of Rockville, in the county ofParke, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and iinproved PortableFence; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable others vskilled in the. artto make and use the spine, reference being Figure 1 is a side view of myimproved fence, showing its adaptation to both level and uneven ground.

Figur is a vertical cross-section. i

Figure 3 is a side view of a modification of the saine.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same.

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial view, showing the manner of fasteningwith a wedge and notched stakes.

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view of thesame.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. .A i

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in theconstruction of fences for the boundaries and divisions of: farms, -theobject of' which improvements is to provide a cheap and portable fencethat can be easily put up and takendown at pleasure by a farmer,'aud isespecially designed for use in the western States, where the cost offencing is so important an item in farming.

My improvements consist in thc application and arrangement oEfwell-knownmechanical devices in the` construction of board fences, by which meansVall the parts can be prepared and made ready at the saw mill so that theboards can be transported as common lumber and be put together at oncewhenever they are needed. The boards or rails are handled andtransported separately, and not joined together `in panels as portablefences are sometimes made, andffor this reason they can be setup onuneven ground, with the posts upright, while the rails are parallel withthe ground. The posts, -except at the corners, are also made of plank,and the fence is supported by stakes which are notched on one side tocatch on the top ci' a rail, and are held in place by wedges.

My improved portable plank fence is put together with screw-bolts andnuts with great facility and dispatch by common laborers, and for'general purposes on a farm possesses also the following advantages:first, it ycan be taken all topieces without injury to anyl part, andcan be hauled 4about as common lumber, to be put together againanywhere; second, when not in use it can bepilcd up safely out of' theway in such a manner that the last plank will fcrmaover to protect therest from the weather; third, it is equally adapted to level or unevenground; fourth, it can be easily opened for. the passage of stock at Yfew screw-bolts; and fifth, it has the advantage of heingvery cheap.

Figsl, 2, 3, 4, represent the fence when set up; A A are the plankrails, all of the saine length, breadth,

:and thickness, to wit, ten feet long, seven inches broad, and one inchthick; B B are plank posts, all alike, to

wit, seven 4feet long and about one and a half` in'ch square. Theseparts of the fence are allcut to size at the sawfniill, and the abovedimensions vare given as suitable for general Vpurposes in theirproportions, but not as absolute conditions of my improved construction,the essential features of which are that the1:i.ils, pasts, land stakesare all made alike respectively. The rails A A are fastened tothe postsB B by screwholts and nuts a a, which pass through holes made in theends of the rails, and at proper distances apartinthc posts, machineryat the mill, so as to prepare them for putting together,as'shown'iitiidrawings, with facility.l The stakes C C fire sct astrideof eachpanel of fence, and are usually stuck into the ground a littleway, but when the ground v'is frozen they may-be secured Iat the lowerends by tying them witha cord or wire passingv through the t`cncc,vasindicated in red lines in iig. The stakes C C are provided at the upperpair with several notches b, which catch 011 the upper side of the rail,and they are made fast where they cross each other by a wedge, c, thatbears against thecroteh and the edge of a rail, as shown clearly infigs. 5 and 6. The fence may be made complete of five rails forprotection against sheep and hogs, but for enclosing cattle andhorses afenccof two rails will serve an excellent purpose, both of which modesof construction are represented in the drawings. In tig. 1 it will beseen that the rails-mu be secured to the upright posts at any angle, sothat, they will conform to the surface of' the ground; whether level orsloping, or however uneven.

an )oint b merel drawiunr a .l l y y .e

hy suitable man" 'The construction of the plank mils and posts admittingof any degree of anguiarity being given to the inclination oi' the plankrails enables 'this form of fencing to be easily convert-ed to use inthe construction of cattle sheds, Sac.. where one side and one end ofthe shed may be formed by the fence at a corner thereof, leaving but oneend and the roof' to be added to complete the shed. This 'muy beeffected by'nsing-longcr plank rails and a a longer middle post,throwing up the end-s of the planks so as to form an acute angie in theordinary 'forni of the gable Vends of buildings, and adding anotherpanel similarly constructeclkat the opposite.- cnd of the shed andputting on the roof. The panels thus uscil may be at any time takendown'nnrl used in the construction of a fence. i

That I claim as new, and desire to' secure by Letters Patentffis- 1. Thecross-stakes C, with the notches b, combined with-the wedge e, andarranged for supporting the plank rails A in the manner hereinspecified. A

2. A fence constructed withthe plank rails A and posts B, so unitedbypb'olts and nuts a as to permit any required degree ofinclinationto begiven to the rails, the posts remaining vertical, thus permitting itsadaptation to convertible use, substantially as and for the purposes setforth. V

The above specification of my invention signed by me `this 12th day ofDecember, 1866.

, JOI-IN T. CAMPBELL. Witnesses JOHN H. LxNnnm",

Tom.' M. MLAUGHLIx.'

